Fever
by RedWingedAngel002
Summary: You know that added scene in the series, where second-grader Suzume visits Yumemi, while she was down with a fever? Well, let's say a certain redheaded king does the same. Post series; one-shot. MxY


A Munto fanfiction: Fever by: RedWingedAngel002 (Ari chan)

Disclaimer: Munto/ Sora Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai © Kyoto Animation; Yoshiji Kigami and Tomoe Aratani

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Friendship, General, Hurt-Comfort, Romance

Summary: You know that added scene in the series, where second-grader Suzume visits Yumemi, while she was down with a fever? Well, let's say a certain redheaded king does the same. Post series; one-shot. MxY

…..

A/N: This one-shot was inspired by that adorable scene, which was added in episode three, as well as the fact that I, myself, was down with a fever last week. Although not 100% recovered, I started it the day after I was sick. It took a whole week to write, however, I'm proud to say that this is the most I've typed out for a single chapter EVER! Fifteen pages, baby! Whoot! 8D

**Please note: a scene in this chapter was based on ElfMaidenOfLight's multi-one shot fanfiction, _Of Emeralds and Rubies_, as well as Tripleguess's lovely story, _King Of Dreams_- which both are used with permission, of course. I really see no other way of working that particular scene out, other than those versions, so I tried creating my own with a mixture of the two. Let's hope it doesn't sound too similar. ;∆;

Thanks, Ren, for beta-ing this and being patient with me! I am now known as the Comma Nazi, apparently. XD

**WARNING:** Copious amounts of romantic CHEESE! XD

…..

Song: Things I'll Never Say by: Avril Lavigne, Don't Let Go by: Bryan Adams (featuring Sarah McLachlan), Daughters by: John Mayer, Your Guardian Angel by: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Her Diamonds by: Rob Thomas, Epiphany by: Staind, Pretty Baby and Ordinary Day by: Vanessa Carlton, Everything You Want by: Vertical Horizon, and Lullaby For A Stormy Night by: Vienna Teng

…..

Japanese Index:

Aah: Informal, masculine way of saying, "Yeah."

Mou: Geez, really

Neh: Hey, huh, 'kay, okay, yeah

Oi: Hey

Oba-san: Aunty

Okaa-san, 'Kaa-chan: Mother, Mom, Momma (Towards mother)

Ojamashimasu: Literally means, "I'm going to get in your way" or "I will disturb you;" informal way of saying, "Sorry for interrupting/ Excuse me for the intrusion."

Onee-san (pronounced as Oh-neh- when talking about/ to someone's sister), Ane-san (when talking about one's sister), 'Ne-san/ -chan: (Older) sister, sis, sissy

Saa: Now

-sama: Honorific: The respectful equivalent of -san; -sama is primarily in addressing persons of much higher rank: Lord, Lady

-san: Honorific: Carries the meaning of "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss," etc., but used more extensively in Japanese than its English equivalent

…..

"Talking."

'_Thinking'_

_Memories/ Flashbacks_

…..

Chapter 1: Delicate

_"'Cause I can't take anymore of this  
I wanna come apart  
And dig myself a little hole  
Inside your precious heart"_

Epiphany by: Staind

…..

Her mother's palm gently brushed back pale bangs to check her temperature, "Mmm, still quite warm. Are you sure you don't want me to chancel this meeting, Yumemi?" Nozomi inquired with a worried tone. It was very rare for her daughter to be sick, and once she was, she would always go down hard.

A weak smile wobbled into place, "I'll be okay, 'Kaa-san; I'm a big girl now," Yumemi lightly patted her mother's hand in emphasis.

The brunette smiled warmly at her fifteen-year-old daughter, "Well, alright. If you have any trouble, don't hesitate to call. I'll be back at around four-thirty. Papa should be back at his normal time, as well as Chikara; I'll pick him up after soccer practice," she reminded, lifting herself off the pink, floral covered mattress. "Do you need anything before I go?"

Yumemi shook her head with a negative.

She glanced at the small purple rabbit clock, which perched idly on top the wooden desk in corner of the girl's room, there, its hands read ten to nine. If she didn't leave now, she was going to be late. "Alright… I'll see you later, then," With that, Nozomi kissed her daughter's heated forehead and headed downstairs. Ever since those strange incidences last year, the woman had been counting her daily blessings.

"Good luck…" the blonde called out before she heard the front door quietly shut, leaving her and the empty house alone.

Sighing, Yumemi remembered the time this had happened, all those years ago. It seemed that history had a tendency to repeat itself…

_Second-grader Yumemi stared wearily out her bedroom window, seeing her massive purple diamond out and beyond the clouds. It's glorious, yet burdening, sight caused her to be shunned by most of her peers. She felt alone… Abandoned, even._

_She had been so excited about the field trip, too…_

_Feeling her lower lip quiver, the grip on her pale yellow coverlet tightened, 'What will happen if I'm alone forever?' she thought to herself, misty sea-foam green eyes closed with a heavy heart. However…_

_"Yumemi!" a childish cry echoed out her window._

_Tired lids opened with a start, 'What…?'_

_Sitting up slowly, Yumemi gave herself a moment to let the dizziness of the fever to pass, and looked out her pink-curtain window, quite surprised to find her friend, Suzume, there, waving up at her with enthusiasm. _

_The blonde felt her lips curl into a wide smile, any loneliness lifted by happiness. She pointed to her right, indicating that she would get the door. _

_Step by step, Yumemi cautiously made her way down the stairs, having to give herself a few moments to let the dizziness pass, now and then. However, soon enough, the seven-year-old made it to the door, a little guilty for making her friend wait. _

_She had to go on her tippy-toes to reach the silver handle, but managed to open it, receiving a warm greeting from Suzume, "Hi!" she waved, causing her cotton blue dress to happily sway, cheery yellow cap protecting her from the sun's harsh summer rays._

_Flushed, but smiling, Yumemi returned the greeting, leading the petite girl inside. "Ojamashimasu!" the brunet called out with a high-pitched giggle._

_Suzume diligently took the blonde's hand, telling her about the fieldtrip and how she was missed. Yumemi quietly noticed how she was supported by the smaller girl and was not rushed in anyway when she had to rest- how encouraging and patient Suzume could be, even in her calm silence…_

Smiling to herself, Yumemi recalled the rest of the memory: how Suzume offered to share her lunch and how worried her parents had been, when they found out that their daughter wasn't with her class.

She stared yearningly out to her sky with a change of heart and fell soundly asleep…

…..

Red particles of magic slowly clustered into a human form, allowing Munto, the Magical King, to successfully teleport into the girl's home. Rolling his neck with a satisfying pop, the young man looked around to find that his intuition was indeed correct: Yumemi was sick and very much alone.

Munto gave himself a moment to take in his surroundings, now realizing that this was the first time he had actually been in her room. True, he 'technically' had been there two years ago, when he had asked for her power, in the dark of that summer night, but this was different… He could actually smell her sweet, vanilla scent, thanks to the now merged state of space-time continuum.

The recent nineteen-year-old glanced up at his lands, praying to his deity that nothing _weird_ would happen during his visit.*1

Sighing, the king focused his gaze to his right, on the young woman he cherished so, finding her coiled in a bundle of quilts, flushed, and sweating. Munto felt his thick brows furrow with distaste and lip firm into a line, walking up to the girl's bed and carefully taking a seat at the edge. Brushing pale soaked bangs back and testing her forehead with a tan palm, he took out an advanced thermometer from his lands and gently swiped it across her exposed brow, it instantly calculating her temperature.

"102.4° F?" he read aloud, somewhat surprised with the results. '_What was the average temperature of a healthy human, again?'_ Whatever the case, he knew that it couldn't be good.

He was about to leave to go down stairs to get something to cool her off, until he was stopped by a soft whimper. Wide eyes softened to a buttery gold as he quietly reassured, "I'll be right back." Standing, the king pulled another thick comforter out knowingly from the cupboard, above her cream dresser, and placed it over the sick girl, patting her shoulder affectionately before heading towards his destination.

Maroon boots clicked on sturdy wooden step surface, feeling a sense of déjà vu as he went into the small, yellow tiled kitchen, and grabbed the supplies he needed, preparing a pot on the stove. His status as a lord did not signify a lack of common household knowledge.

Satisfied with the started broth, Munto headed back up the stairs, knowing the contents would have to cook slowly. Once back in the siblings' room, the redheaded king pulled her desk's chair beside the bed, giving him a place to sit, and opened a small folding table he plucked out from the living-room closet, placing the tray, baring rags, ice, and chilled water, on top.

He dropped the cloth in the bowl, making sure it was fully soaked before taking it out, wringing it tightly in his strong, reliable hands. Turing slightly to face her, he noted that Yumemi was no longer curled on her side, but on her back instead, making it easier for him to apply the damp rag to her sweating brow.

Carefully, he swabbed the girl's temples and face, receiving a content sigh as he did so. Nodding to himself in approval, he continued the gesture a few more times and then let the small towel rest on top her forehead, his fingers lingering on her cheek longer than necessary.

Munto leaned back in the chair with a sigh, reminding himself to handle the situation _delicately_. However, in the back of his mind, he knew he was impatient and that his emotions were on overdrive.

It was pathetic, really, that he had finally managed to bring himself here because of _this_.

The king knew he had been putting it off for too long. True, it had taken a few months for the Heavens to finally reconcile with their differences, however, they still had yet to reveal themselves to the humans below, and he knew that was going to get hairy. From what Munto understood, the now merged Underworld dwellers _still_ were unable to see their lands, until the bond of the Heavens has been solidified with theirs, and that required Yumemi. Of course, the Elders droned on with the fact that _someone_, meaning _him_, had to retrieve the Girl of Destiny from below and get things started.

Well, it wasn't going to be easy, obviously!

And it wasn't like he took orders from them before, anyway. _They_ were the ones who wanted him and his lands annihilated, previously. To think that just because all were situated with one another, now, gave United Army the right to order him around was anything but true. He made it perfectly clear.

Munto clicked his tongue irritably, knowing the true reason to why he had been putting it off. Aside from the present situation of the two worlds, it was because… It was because she hadn't answered his request, hadn't had the time to. And the uncertainty of her answer had been gnawing his conscious for the past seven months…

_He silently watched Yumemi as she awoke in his secure grasp- how her sleepy green eyes slowly opened and widened with realization, taking in the sight of her shaken home and town. Munto noted that the driveway was vacant, the usual mustard-yellow minivan no longer occupying its tree-sheltered pocket. He assumed the family of her household was searching for their missing child. _

_Perhaps he could have a few moments to…_

_Munto put the girl down as gently as possible, fearing she would break with too much mishandling. (Of course, she had proven him wrong with all the strength their journey had required.) Once her bare feet touched the earth and were stabilized, her gaze was instantly drawn to his, luster pools of sea-foam green drowning his senses. _

_"I…" Yumemi's eyes dropped down to her hands, which fiddled with her red-jeweled pendent. She then looked back up, uncertainty now transformed into resolution. _

_The king watched with interest as she carefully shifted her pale locks and unclasp the golden chain beneath her cream sweater, cradling the small jewel in her hand. _

_Swallowing, the girl opened her palm and handed it to him by the chain as an offering, "Bring this back, okay? It's one of my favorites."*2_

_Munto was a little startled by her words, however, realized that the request required him to come _back_. Smiling, he bent down to receive the gift, taking the opportunity to inhale her sweet sent one last time and wrap his arms around her developing form. Munto felt his pulse quicken when he when she returned the gesture and nuzzle her face in his coat._

_"I'll miss you," he heard her mumble, voice muffled in his white-collard neck._

_Chuckling, the king let his magic course through them one last time, to his fingertips, bringing forth a bundle of red and gold silk, and draped it on the girl's petite shoulders. Ending the embrace, he saw those expressive eyes widen to round moons, flicking up at him with recognition, surprise, and then confusion. "You can keep that."_

_Lush lips lifted into a smile, "Thank you…" Her warm clover gaze started to gradually well with tears._

_Munto felt his heart stutter with life, regret squeezing his chest with a vice grip, 'No, no, no! Not tears, I'm terrible with tears!' He didn't want her saddened face to be the last thing he would remember of her._

_However, the king admired her strength- she didn't let them fall, just watched him timidly took her hand in his, and state in a raw, low voice, "Promise me something…" His bullion gaze burned brightly, grounding her with that moment, "Once I come back…" He gently placed the ring, which previously nestled on his left hand, to her own- to the finger adjacent to her pinkie, "…be mine. Allow me to court you."_

_The confession was too jumbled- rushed for his taste, but he wanted to tell her before _leaving_—_

_"I know things will be difficult, however…"_

_The girl was shocked into silence._

_The sound of neighboring footsteps could be heard in his keen, pointed ears, over the roar of his thundering heart, 'Shit!' He was running out of time. _

_Munto's concerned gaze returned to hers and squeezed her hand in emphasis, "You don't have to answer me now… But think about it, will you?"_

_Yumemi nodded and closed her eyes with a soft sigh, allowing herself to bask in the warmth of his touch and feel as he carefully wiped away the handful of tears that managed to fall. _

_Munto regretted pulling away, already missed the softness of her rouge cheeks, but knew it was his time to leave. _

_"I _promise_ I'll come back," he firmly declared, knowing too well that she understood his stubborn side and would never go back on his word._

_The abandoned look in her eye, how she pitifully clung to the gray fabric of his shirts with shaking fingers- it was something his mind wouldn't let go._

_But she did, eventually, watched the king float and perch himself on her rooftop, turning to give her one last nod of farewell, and shoot up into the clouded yellow skies._

_As Munto saw her lonely form gradually shrink and fade into the cloudbank, he idly wondered if he had left his heart behind, with her…_

_…Because the gaping pain in his chest was unbearable. _

Groaning, the king combed his fingers through his untamed firelocks, slightly shaken by the detailed memory. As well as the fact that he was…

His gaze settled on Yumemi, who was contently curled with sleep, her small form bombarded with pastel quilts and pillows. He fought the urge to remove some of the blankets- worried she would possibly suffocate, or worse, be _crushed_ by so many pieces of fabric. He knew that he would have to follow his Healer, Shuza's, words: it was best to sweat it out and not allow the patient become chilled.

Munto snorted at his own antics, realizing how _protective_ he had become with the girl. However, his irritation was soon snuffed out, as he knew that arguing with himself with his concerned, flustered emotions wasn't going to make her better, all he could do now was wait.

And wait he did… He was a patient man, when he wanted to be, and let himself pass the time, idly caring for the girl he cherished while letting his gaze wander, basking in the chambers of her family's home; appreciating the fact that the nest _allowed_ his foreign presence to rest there.

At some point, his eyes fell upon a tidied white uniform, which hung neatly on a hanger, beside her dresser. _'That's right…'_ Munto thought with a smile, _'This is the last summer she would be wearing this, isn't it?'_

He got up to examine the light clothing, eyes guiding themselves to the long, blue-striped collar, shifting to silk mint-green tie, which was left on top her dresser, alongside her customary flower pin, and down to the ends of its modest length. He would miss the article, however, was also just as curious to see what her high school attire would look like. Would she appear more grown up, mature, then? Perhaps. The real question was…

_Would he be permitted to see her, then…?_

After some time, two hours at most, he let himself wonder the rest of the home; just observing, not touching, soon bringing himself back in the kitchen. Munto tested the contents, recalling that they tasted the same way his mother had made them oh-so long ago. With a heavy sigh, he turned the heat of the stove to a lower setting. He felt a bit out of place for using their kitchenware without permission, but promised himself to clean and put everything back, as if nothing had been disturbed in the first place.

"While I'm here…" With a flick of a wrist, Munto teleported the bowl of water he used to nurse the blonde with down to him, disposing and refilling its contents with ice. He glanced at the kitchen clock, clicking his tongue with slight irritation at the time. It read ten past twelve.

_'That late already?'_ He knew she and her friends usually got out of school at three-thirty, recalling the memory that Yumemi used to watch the clock when that time approached. "They" would probably skip their respective jobs and extracurricular activities for Yumemi's sake. He would only have a few more hours with her…

Red brows furrowed in anger at his own selfishness, knowing how precious those two were to his Yumemi, and that without them… Memories of her tear streaked face and curled figure flashed in his mind's eye, her cries of anguish echoing in his spirit's ears, as he had to encourage that such a horrible future was not for certain. No, he didn't want that. Munto knew that both females were people she cherished dearly and couldn't live without.

Despite this, a small voice hoped that she might, maybe, make room for him to squeeze into her full, precious heart.

And then the king realized he was dumbly standing there in the living room hallway, tray in hand. Even if no one was around, an uncharacteristic blush peppered his cheeks, knowing he was acting like a fool for allowing himself to become engrossed with such brooding thoughts.

Munto walked up the stares with an irked stride, his annoyance calmed upon seeing Yumemi's sleeping sight.

After repeating his previous ministrations, he allowed himself to rest a hand on the crown of her brow, "What you _do_ to me…" the man thought in irony; sighing as he petted her pale hair affectionately. "You are a wonder, you know that?" finding himself curling a few locks of hair around his fingers.

A sudden buzzing noise caught his attention and he saw the cheerful orange cell on her desk spark and vibrate with life. Thick brows rose as he recognized the caller ID, lip curling to the side at her friends' humorous photo poses. That's right; they had their lunch break now, didn't they?

He shouldn't be answering this… Technically they haven't even _met_!*3

Then why was he flipping the foreign receiver open?

A concerned, feminine tone was heard on the other end, "Yumemi, you finally picked up! We were worried since you didn't show today. How are you feeling? Is everything okay?" the tomboy, Ichiko, inquired.

Shit, he was supposed to answer, wasn't he? This was going to be _odd_.

So much for that previous prayer.

"Yumemi is recovering slowly, but doing well, Ichiko," he said, forcing himself to keep his twitching grin down.

There was a cold silence, and then, "Who… What- WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN YUMEMI'S HOUSE? I SWEAR- IF YOU SO MUCH AS TOU—"

"Ichiko, breathe. This is Munto-sama." Looks like his intuition, of her getting angry, was correct.

"—THERE _RIGHT_ NOW TO—" There was a ruffling noise and exchanged shouts. When then the noise settled, his pointed ear receiving a high pitched, "Hello, Mr. Creepy Man?"

Munto chucked, "Hello."

"Hi! Ichiko is really worried right now, can you leave Yumemi alone, please?" Suzume pleaded.

"Well, can you tell Ichiko that _Munto-sama_ is currently _taking care_ of Yumemi right now? Her fever is dangerously high."

There was a loud, "Uwah~!" and then, "Ichiko, did you hear? It's Munto! He finally came back! Yumemi's not gonna be sad anymore!" the childish girl chirped.

Munto barely noted the, "I don't give a rat's ass if it's the Red Guy or the _President_! He still shouldn't—"

The king's wide gaze flickered to the slumbering girl and swallowed thickly, thinking, _'I've caused her sadness?'_

"—Oi, you! Are you listening?" Ichiko called out for his attention, panic no longer lacing her upset voice.

Munto resisted the urge to yell back, angered at himself with the information he had managed draw out of the conversation, "It's Munto-_sama_..!"

An exasperated sigh, he could practically feel Ichiko rolling her eyes, "Yeah, whatever. Oba-san isn't there, I'm guessing; so don't do anything stupid, alright? We're heading over _right_ when our cleaning shift is done. So, you better not _ditch_, you got that? _Mou..!_" she groaned the last part to herself.

Red brows knitted, not quite liking her tone with him. His irritation was pushed further when the girl didn't even allow him to reply back, the phone's receiver cutting rudely with a beep.

Growling, the king closed the phone with a soft click, returning to his previous perch. That was a bad idea, a _very_ bad idea. He suddenly regretted even _thinking_ of picking up the ancient device- wished to of let the phone _ring_ and…!

Munto's angry thoughts bubbled down to a simmer, knowing that he risked the chance of Yumemi waking up to answer it, something he yearned and feared for at the same time. How would she react with him there? Would she think it was _creepy_ that he was here in her home, nursing her back to health? And then there was her _answer_. Would she…

The king buried his anxieties in the back of his mind. The feverish girl shifted, her own brow furrowing slightly before revealing a sea of green he had yearned to look upon for days on end.

Munto's maroon clad body stilled with bated breath. This was it…

A few blinks, and then her gaze slowly focused on his stiff figure, pausing to moisten her lips before a soft, "…Hi"

The pinch of nails in his palms loosened, his breath releasing itself out his nostrils with a sigh, curtly nodding at the greeting, "Hi." The king gave Yumemi a moment to adjust to his presence before asking, "How are you feeling?"

"…Better," she replied meekly with a weak smile.

Munto graciously helped the blonde as she pitifully failed to sit up on her own, reproaching himself for allowing his heart's pace to quicken when she leaned on him, from what he assumed, for support (and he wouldn't even hesitate to give it). However, that thought was dismissed when he heard her murmur softly to herself in a daze, "…Smells good…"

He tried to ignore the _lightness_ the comment caused him to feel and gently placed a palm on her brow, "You're still warm…" removing his hand and pointing a thumb behind himself, towards the kitchen, "You haven't eaten all day, would you like something?"

Yumemi smiled at the king's nervous tone, unsure if this was a hallucination or not, but went with it anyway, "Sure."

There was a gentle pull on his white cape's fleeting figure, "Ah, wait." He saw she was making her way out of the warm bed, shocked to find a familiar garment revealed underneath her thick sheets, its pale gold undertone exposed out in the open.

Yumemi followed his gaze and blushed prettily with slow recognition. Her cheeks, already rouge with fever, turned deeper still. She tried to avoid eye contact, however, her weary body gave her the extra push; she needing him for support, "I… Umm… I need to use the bathroom," she explained with quiet embarrassment.

Munto nodded in understanding and bent to pick up the girl. Her stiffness caused him to pause as she sputtered, "I-I can walk!"

The redheaded king gave her a deadpan look, "You can barely stand; I doubt you can walk." With that, he resumed his previous action, gently lifting, and then supporting the girl's clad green shoulders and strawberry patterned calves with tender care.

Yumemi didn't resist much, couldn't, finding herself relaxing instantly in his embrace. Her fever caused the heat of embarrassment in her cheeks to warm tenfold, watching the magical being cradle her to his chest as he descended down the stairs.

Once they got to the door of her home's bathroom she felt his chest rumble with a chuckle, "I'm sure you can handle the rest from here, correct?"

"Yes!" she squeaked.

Again, just as he picked her up, he let her down with as much ease, steadying her when she wobbled on her feet and close the door with a sheepish grin. Munto sighed, relieved that she hadn't cast him out and was behaving friendly with him, at least.

As she did her business, he busied himself with preparing the simple meal, allowing a few moments of silence to try and compose himself. Soon enough, a watery flush and turning of facets warned him that his moment was short lived, revealing Yumemi, who was busy brushing her hair. Oh, how he wanted to burry his nose and inhale into those lovely golden locks…

"Smells good…" she walked over with steadier footing, referring to the _food_ this time, and settled herself on her kitchen table seat.

"Nu-uh. You're going back to bed," the king said with a frown, jerking his head upward.

Yumemi's blank face told him she had trouble understanding what he said, "…Wha? But this is _my_ house…" she whined.

A grin slid into place, bullion eyes shifting to the prepared meal he was currently mixing, "True, but you are going to catch a chill if you eat down here." When he finally lifted his gaze, he had to pause a second to admire how _adorable_ she looked with her furrowed brow and jutted lip, "Come now, the food is already there," he argued, pointing to the obviously bare kitchen top.

So much for his composure.

…..

"…I can feed myself, you know?" she quietly stated, after receiving another mouthful of the pleasant tasting broth.

"I know," Munto tilted the porcelain bowl to scoop out the last bits of its liquid contents, "But you're almost done. Saa…" Again, he was torturing himself as noticed her moist lips.

"Looks like someone was hungry. What happened to having an uneasy stomach?" the king teased, receiving a mock glare from Yumemi.

And then there was a content silence.

The redhead soon found that he needed to busy himself, and started to rise to put the dishes away. However, Yumemi had a knack for surprising him. Finding her small hand tightly gripping his, she prevented him to leave, "I… Thank you for today. That was really nice of you to take the time to do this for me."

Munto felt the corner of his lip twitch upward in irony, ignoring his erratic heartbeat, and countered her gratitude, "Don't thank me just yet…" referring to the phone incident.

Yumemi just smiled, her warm gaze causing him to slowly unravel, revealing his rattled emotions wide open. It was strange to be feeling this way, vulnerable, _scared_.

It was just a simple yes or no…

Yumemi sighed, shifting her gaze to their intertwined hands. She stalled a moment to look upon her own distorted figure that was reflected in his heavy silver bracelet, its metal bands coiling around his wrist in an X shape, "Neh, about before…"

Munto's jaw tightened, finding himself not quite ready for whatever answer she was about to say. He could jump mindlessly into battle, wipe out armies with a flick of a wrist, for his kingdom and people, but when it came to his heart…

He couldn't even stand up to a little girl.

The man withdrew his hands and suppressed the urge to look at her gaze, which flickered pain. He reached behind his white collared neck, unclasping the chain bound there, and revealed the necklace she had given him months ago, "I believe this is yours," he stated, offering it to the blonde.

Her hand flew to her breast, clutching the cotton material of her nightwear, and gasped in surprise, not even noticing special accessory. Her shock was soon transformed into a fluttering warmth, "It's okay, you can keep it," Munto's brows rose in surprise, "I've got a new favorite, anyway," Yumemi smiled, exposing the golden chain she had been wearing around her own pale neck, daily.

The king stilled, seeing his _ring_ there, nestled so quietly, "You…" He swallowed thickly, wild, unbound hope trembling in his exposed breast.

Yumemi squeezed his laxed hand in reassurance, "As I was saying, about before… About what you asked me…" Munto gently touched the signet with shaking fingers, observing the golden band and its various magical symbols engraved on the inside of the warm metal. She placed her other palm on top of their intertwined hands, "I'd like that… I'd like that a lot."

Munto blinked in a daze, feeling his chest inflate with relief and a sudden giddy, unbound emotion, "Really?" his risen right hand slowly descended and rested on his clad-red thigh.

Yumemi continued to smile, giggling with heated cheeks, "Yeah."

And then the king found himself curling into the nape of her neck, embracing the girl tightly with strong, bare arms. He was shaking. Strange, but he couldn't repress the explosion of happiness he felt for her, "Thank you…" he murmured, nuzzling his face in her hair and enjoying the feel of her arms wrapped around him.

There were only a handful of things that he came to truly cherish and possess with dignity in his bombarding life, and she was always the first of those things. He _loved_ her. And was amazed to say that she felt the same.

_He was in love…_

It truly was odd, ironic, even. His hope of one-day feeling love left him long ago, when his honorable parents sacrificed themselves to the Akuto, for breaking Heaven's childbearing law. On that traumatic day, he promised to conceal his heart and feelings- never to allow such a _weak_ emotion to enter his thoughts again- to keep striving forward, become a good leader to the lands and responsibilities his mother and father had left behind. And yet…

It felt right, true.

The moment was cherished, savored, and lasted. Soon both pulled away, contently smiling at one another with affection.

Munto lightly brushed her jaw-line, informing the girl with a serious tone, "Things are going to be difficult, you know? We still have to reveal our lands to your people; there will probably be much conflict."

Yumemi smiled, without a doubt in her mind, "I know. But if I'm with you, it'll be okay."

The king's eyes warmed affectionately, turning into a honeyed gold, "So, when are you going to tell your family about me?" he lightly inquired, "I don't want them to view me as some kind of creepy guy who sneaks into your room, when no one is around," Munto teased, lip twitching upward. He knew too well that was _exactly_ what he was doing.

A giggle bubbled in the young woman's throat, which soon turned into a fit of hearty laughs. Munto was slightly at a loss with Yumemi's intense laughter, knowing the joke wasn't _that_ funny, but found himself joining in no less.

The unique, joyous sound the couple created tasted the air and it was fresh.

Yumemi watched her new love's face brighten with foreign laughter in awe, enjoying the pleasant sound. It was… _nice_. Warm, low, like condensed honey, sweet and thick…

Munto wiped a tear, which manage to sneak its way in the corner of his eye, "My god, I haven't… I haven't laughed like that in a _long_ time," he said with a chuckle, testing his chest to make sure the light, wondrous feeling wouldn't fly away.

He watched the girl smile knowingly and lay back with a plop, finding herself suddenly exhausted with so many coursing emotions.

"Tired?" the king inquired with concern.

"Sorry…" A pleading emotion wafted to her sleepy gaze.

Munto nodded in understanding, caressing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "You need your rest." In the meantime, he was set to clean up the supplies he had borrowed.

However, he found himself drawn, barely aware of his shifting figure, until he felt her breath tickle his face, which was steadily closing the distance… between…

Soft fingers gently stopped his needy lips. Her eyes widened to round green moons, face cherry red, "I-I don't want you to get sick..!" Yumemi squeaked, not quite ready for such a forward move.

The king chuckled at her shy, concerned antics, realized that he was, indeed, going to have to take things slow with her. "You know that we _rarely_ get sick, Yumemi," he said matter-of-factly, referring to him and the Heavenly people.

Her wide gaze skittered away, suddenly finding her coiled hands, which fiddled with the blankets on top of her, very interesting, "St-still…"

_'So cute.'_ Munto replied to her stuttering answer with a tender peck on the forehead, ordering her to sleep.

"But I don't want to…" she quietly argued with reluctance, wilted, "I'll probably wake up and find that this is all a dream…"

Munto's heart hammered with life once again, recalling the information he had managed to draw out from his phone conversation with her friends, "It's not a dream, love," he stated in endearment, affectionately tucking stray locks behind the round shell of her ear.

"But how do I know for sure? You… You have a tendency to leave for more than a year and… I don't know-" Yumemi's thick string of words were cut off, finding herself tightly pressed into the man's chest.

Munto cradled the wounded girl, whispered soft apologies as he petted her hair, "It's alright. I'm here, now. You'll know, for certain, that I've been here because…" He gently cupped her wet cheeks with his large palms, "I love you, so, so much, my Little Dreamer. Listen, you'll heart will know…" He tenderly clasped her hand in his; placing it flat against the openings of his bare chest, letting her feel the erratic muscle of his heartbeat, "See?"

He saw the girl's agape mouth slowly close, transforming into a bright, watery smile, "Yes…"

…..

Munto slowly opened his lids; eyes instantly gazed upon the girl's sleeping face. He hadn't lost consciousness to the lull of winged dreams, but allowed himself to truly cherish the moment of holding her.

The king reluctantly removed his arms, already missing the warmth she provided, and tucked the thick blankets over her even higher. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he checked her temperature one last time, finding that it had become much cooler to when he had first gotten there.

Standing, he rolled his shoulders with a satisfying pop, and kissed Yumemi on the forehead before scavenging the materials he had borrowed to nurse her back to health.

And, by god, he couldn't keep that _stupid_ grin off his face! Munto knew he was going to have to learn how to conceal this wonderful feeling, and fast! Otherwise, his reputation in public circles was going to go down the drain. Tsk.

The redhead had just finished writing the last of his instructions for Yumemi's medication, when he suddenly heard pounding on the door, "Hey! I know you're in there!" He placed the pen down and approached the wooden door.

Muffled and high reminders of, "Ichiko, calm down! Yumemi is probably sleeping…!" could be heard as he turned the silver handle with a side-grin, revealing himself to Yumemi's childhood friends, Ichiko and Suzume, for the first time.

…She was taller than he expected, finding her angered gaze having to barely look upward into his, the tip of her head almost reached his collarbone.

However, that wasn't the case for Ichiko, as she was _quite _surprised at the tall being before her. _'His clothes are strange,'_ she thought, as she observed his red and gold trappings adorned by a white cape. The open gap of his shirt was fastened with two dark straps, it cascading downwards and ending at the top of his stomach. The belts that held the garment in place were goldenrod, their intricate silver buckles cradling an _emerald_ in the middle. Damn.

Not only were his clothes strange as hell, but his hair was obnoxiously red, too. And those _eyebrows_-

"Come in," he offered, even if he did feel a bit out of place to do so, since it wasn't his home.

Ichiko gave him a deadpan look while Suzume bobbed her head in agreement, stepping into the familiar household.

"You may address me as Munto-sama," the king introduced.

Ichiko almost fell, while taking off her blue sneakers, _'Yumemi wasn't kidding!'_

Suzume giggled, "He's weird! He calls himself 'Lord'!" her redwood eyes twinkling as she did so.

Munto grinned at Suzume, her petite form not _even_ coming up to his chest.

"Here," he offered the package of herbs to Ichiko, taking the lanky teen off guard, "Tell Nozomi to give a hot cup of this to Yumemi twice a day, a tablespoon each. She should be back on her feet in a day, or two."

"W-what?" Ichiko glared, irked with this imposing man. They had barely settled themselves down, for crying out loud! "No, no, no! I'm not _lying_ for you—"

"Okay!" Suzume called out with a smile, taking the small bag into her eager hands. Ichiko glared at the petite girl, betrayed.

Golden eyes glanced at the kitchen clock, which read four-twenty, "It can't be…"

Ichiko saw the worry etched in his masculine features, "Relax, we informed Yumemi's mom that we'd be stopping by, unlike _someone_, so she said she was going to go to the market."

Munto body relaxed, nodding in approval.

Suzume smiled at the two tense figures, not at all phased by the thick atmosphere. "I'm gonna check on Yumemi!" she exclaimed with a childish cry, knowing they needed to work things out.

There was a charged silence.

Munto was the first to speak, his low voice slightly apologetic, "I'll ask next time."

Ichiko lifted a fine brow, "Excuse me?"

"Next time I come to visit, I'll ask permission," the king repeated.

Ichiko's brown eyes widened in surprise, "You… So you're staying?" she inquired, knowing he wasn't technically staying in the household of her home, but as part of Yumemi's life, and possibly heart.

"Aah."

Ichiko tried to ignore the bitter jealousy that gripped her chest, "Good! She should be happy, then!"

Munto smiled at her protective antics, grateful for the girl's approval. However…

"…Don't make her sad," Ichiko ordered softly, ash-brown bangs covering her vision, "Promise you won't make her cry; protect her for me."

Munto's fists tightened, nails biting into the callous flesh of his palms, "I can't promise you that…" the teen's head snapped up, anger and betrayal reflecting her teary gaze, "… Because I've already done that, now, haven't I?"

The bubbling rage that had begun to consume her instantly snuffed out. She almost felt sorry for the strange man, "Yeah… Well… Just don't do it in the future."

The king curtly nodded.

"…And remember to _share_! Just because you've got some high-kingly status up there, doesn't mean you can order her around and shit, elf! She's got school, her family, and _us_!" her slim finger, which was currently pointing to the ceiling, changed direction, to her vexed face.

Munto chuckled at the name humorously, "You are a good friend, Ichiko; remind me of one of my own," he stated with a side grin, referring to his older companion and general, Rui, "I think you might like him. You are welcome to stop by whenever you like."

The tomboy harrumphed with tinted cheeks and crossed her arms around her small chest, "Yeah right!" Yet, a small flutter of hope settled in her breast, knowing she secretly wish to observe the unique island again.

He nodded once again, tall figure standing to take his leave.

Suzume seemed to sense this, making her way down the stairs and catching herself when she almost tripped on her own socked feet, "Are you leaving already, Munto-san?"

"For now," he said with a sigh, letting the honorific slip, "I know you two will take good care of her." He glanced up at Yumemi's open bedroom with an affectionate smile.

Ichiko joined Suzume's side, giving the king a skeptical look as the brunette waved with enthusiasm, "See you soon!"

Munto pointed to the contents on the table as a reminder, summoning his magic before departing and leaving the two girls standing in awe in their own lonely wake…

…..

As Yumemi gradually gained consciousness she kept her lids closed, basking the warmth the thick covers settled on her body. Her developing chest rose and fell as she exhaled with a satisfying sigh. She had almost considered it being a wonderful dream, however, she noticed that his sent still linger on her sheets.

The blonde nuzzled her nose in the pillows, taking in the smell of wind, rain, and something spicy. Ginger, perhaps?

Yumemi curled her toes in bliss, smiling as she recalled his confession. A giggle escaped her lush lips. All she wanted was to lie there and consume herself in his sent and promise for the rest of the night. However, that wasn't possible.

She rolled over to glance out her orchid-curtain window, seeing her island illuminated with moonlight. Yep, it was time to get up.

The blonde turned on her desk lamp on with a soft click, confirming that her sleeping patterns were, indeed, going to be out of whack for a while. Her small rabbit clock read 8:35.

She clutched the maroon cape tighter around her shoulders as she made her way down the wooden stairs, hearing the door close. _''Tou-san must be home.'_

"Yumemi," her father, Shigeru, announced with a smile, "You look much better. How are you feeling?" He was a little surprised to see his daughter out of bed.

"Better, thanks," she smiled, heading towards the kitchen.

"Honey, is that you?" she saw her mother called out. Nozomi received an affirmative yes from her husband as the teen dragged herself to the kitchen table. "Hi, Sweetie. Are you hungry?"

"Yeah…" Yumemi replied, occupied by her younger brother, who was playing some sort of videogame.

"Here, drink this for now, and I'll get something for you and Papa," Nozomi placed a mug in front of her. The blonde cupped the hot tea in her palms with caution.

"You know," attenuate hands scooped a portion of rice into the bowl, "these herbs your friend gave have quite a unique flavor…" Yumemi almost choked on her tea, "It was nice of Ichiko to drop them off for your friend."

Yumemi felt her whole face heat up; _'Oh gosh, they wouldn't!'_ knowing the full effects of the fever still haven't dissipated.

"Y-yeah…"

"I'm a bit curious to where she got them, though," the older woman inquired to herself, "I'd like to use them in my dishes sometime…"

"U-um… Actually, my friend is a boy…" Nervous hands gripped the green mug harder.

The brunette's hands paused in her task, "Oh?"

"Yeah… He's my boyfriend," she mumbled the last part to herself.

"YOU'VE GOT A _BOYFRIEND_, 'NEE-CHAN?" Chikara cried, staring at his sister in disbelief. The distraction caused his knight, in battle with a small monster of some sort, to die, "Aww, man!"

_'W-wait a minute! Did I just say that out loud?'_ The girl's face went ghastly white and then beet red, green irises contracted with nerves and embarrassment.

Nozomi smiled with affection, "_Really?_"

Swallowing, the blonde replied nervously, "Yeah… He took care of me today and-"

"A _boy_ came into our house?" Shigeru cut in, his forehead creased with distaste.

Oh no…

"Ooooo, 'Ne-chan's gonna get it!" her nine-year-old brother teased.

Yumemi groaned, placing her warm forehead on the table. All she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and press the restart button, like one of Chikara's games. This wasn't how she planned it to be!

She had a feeling he was laughing at her right now.

"Now, now, you two…" Her mother started, trying to calm the two bickering males…

At least her mom was on her side.

Looks like it was going to be a long night of explanations…

…..

_"And I know things can't last forever  
But there are lessons that you'll never learn  
Oh just the scent of you it makes me hurt  
So how's it you that makes me better?"_

Pretty Baby by: Vanessa Carlton

…..

A/N: So, there you have it! Can you say extremely cheesy, yet nom-ilisious, fangirl material? YES, _PLEASE_! Cheesy, cheesy, cheesy, **CHEESE**! XD But, I must admit, I really did enjoy writing this out- am _quite_ shocked to how long it turned out to be, as well as how much I've managed to crank in that amount of time! *proud*

Oh, you _know_ there will be plenty of fanart, of this fanfiction, from me! :D I've already drawn doodles for it in class. LOL!

And, holy shit, I would never of thought that writing a vulnerable-flustered Munto would be so damn _difficult_! He may be a king, but he's also a teenager, with insecurities and no experience with girls. At least, that's how I view him. He probably had no _time_ to be dillydallying with the ladies. (Of course if he were, he'd have a whole line of fangirls just _waiting_ to be taken! Haha!)

But really, that man is complex enough as it is! And as far as getting in his head, let alone character… Well, that's just fucking hard in general. I wasn't sure how far to go, before making him OOC (out of character.) D; The only thing that I would complain about this, is how I made him a bit too smile-y for his character. However, love does strange things to you- at least that's what I'm keeping my excuse as! XD

I don't know what was harder, though, going into Munto's head, or having Munto/Ichiko interaction. ~_~ Please tell me if I did an okay job, alright?

Speaking of Ichiko, did you notice that Ichi/Rui hint? Yeah, that was for ElfMaidenOfLight! XD I'll explain this in _New Beginnings_ but I have to be honest, if it wasn't for the TV show, I would of never seen Ichiko as having feelings for Yumemi. They are minor hints in the OVA's, but they can be portrayed just as being a protective friend.

However, the anime closing alone gives a HUGE push to I/Y, as well as other subtle hints in the last movie. Fanserviceplz? Haha. So if you are bothered by that, I'm sorry; but I'm making Ichiko bi to spice things up. [I have nothing against them, either. Many of my friends are bi and gay.] She will always go with Rui in the end, though! That, or Takashi… It's obvious that he likes her- but so cute! However, ElfMaidenOfLight converted me to an I/R fan because of her fanfiction _Umeshu_. Ohohoh~!

I mean, I can see that, too, because there are a lot of parallels with the two worlds: Munto= Yumemi, Rui= Ichiko, Gas= Kazuya, Irita= Suzume, Ryueri= Nozomi, Toche= Chikara etc. I'm not saying all the parallels go together as pairs and exact personalities, but you get my drift (I hope.)

My god, I'm rambling… Sorry! ^^;

**Oh, wait- last thing: if you weren't sure of the scene I composed with the two inspiring pieces, _Of Emeralds and Rubies_ and _King Of Dreams_, it's the flashback when Munto is bringing Yumemi to her home, after their adventure in Heaven. And no, I don't take Munto giving his ring to her as an actual proposal, just as a token of his return. She's way to young to even be _considering_ that.

SPOILERS: In ElfMaidenOfLight's story, she makes a detailed interpretation, to when Munto gives his ring and cape to Yumemi, while Trippleguess has the king drop her off at her house, biding her farewell with a chaste kiss. I pretty much compiled the two ideas, with a twist of my own. =)

I hope you guys enjoyed the one-shot! The first chapter of _New Beginnings_ (the prequel to _Waiting For You_) should be around soon!

Critiques and comments are always appreciated! 8D

Cheers,

Ari chan (3/2/11)

*1: FYI, in all my current (and probably future) fanfics I have Munto's birthday on July 17th, while Yumemi's is on September 23rd, making them just barely four years apart.

*2: The idea of Yumemi giving Munto her necklace was actually inspired by this fanart piece, which I managed to obtain, thanks to Ren: http:/ mob1141. photobucket. com/ albums/n586/RedWingedAngel002/ Munto%20Fanart%.

I know the link is a pain-in-the-ass-long, but remember, no spaces! I also apologize for the small image, however Photobucket has this thing of reducing the quality and size, for some reason. =( You are also welcome to check out the other fanart works I've uploaded on that album, too! :-3

*3: I know the girls technically _have_ met Munto in the last movie, however, once I finally finish the first chapter of _New Beginnings_, you'll see my alteration of the ending- to how I preferred that final episode to be. With that in mind, unless notified, I'm pretty much sticking with that alteration with all my fanfictions.

*4: If you're interested in seeing Munto's clothing design, you can view it here: http:/ red-winged-angel. deviantart. com/ art/ Summer-Design-Final-199040306. [Again, no spaces, please!]


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